Rope-untwisting apparatus



4 SHEETS-SHEET i.

Mar. 13, 1923.

` P. 3vl JAGGER.

ROPE UNTWI'STING APPARATUS. FILED SEFT.25, 1919.

Mar. '13, 1923. 1,448,543. P. B. JAGGER.

ROPE UNTWISTING APPARATUS.

FILED sEPT.25, 1919. 4 SHEETS-SHEET?.

Mar. 13,1923, 1,448,543.

P. B. IAGGER. ROPE uNTwlsTlNG APPARATs.

FILED SEPT- 25, 1919` 4 SHEETS`SHEEI 3- 1 l I "LJ" .26 l l i l l Mar. 1s, 1923, 1,448,543.

. P.B.JAGGER.

ROPE' UNTWISTlNG APPARATUS.

FILED SEPT. 25. i919. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- anatra eine PETER IBURD JAGG-ERpOF LOIBTDOJl7 ENGLAND.

BOBE-UNTWISTING, APPARATUS.

Application filed September 25, 1919. Serial No. 326,298.

To all wiz/0m it may concern Beit known that I, PETER BURD Jassen, a subject of the King cfGreat Britain, residing at London7 England', have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating'to` Rope-Untwisting Apparatus, o which the following is a specification. i

'y Modern industrial enigencies make desirable the utilization of .usedor discarded wire ropes, ysuch as are commonly used in mining, orshipping, etc., tor vhaulage and other purposes, also the recovery 'and utilisation oil" the fibrous cores, usually hemp cores, ot the various strands; and the mainr tibi-ous (hemp)` core of the complete rope when such coresare employed.

Such usedl or discarded ropes have but a small' value Vas such,l whereas it the metal component is remanufactured as a woven or other suitable re-inforcing material for arti` cles and' works of concrete, or' as a` material the interstices of which may be suitably iilled in, as for one example, with a hydraulic ce'- ment, its` value is multiplied many fold, while the value'oiV the recovered fibrous core is approximately eq'ual to the original cost ofthe used' or discarded ropes.

The presentI invention particularly aims to utilize the metal; component of used ywire ropes in the production of ship-plates, and all kindsof constructional material in which a metalV network vor mesh reinforcement is filled in withysuitable material to make a solid structure iree from voids and capable of. being drilled and tapped like ordinary steel material.. i

To the :foregoing end, the present i`nven tion1 consists of" improved mechanism for inechanically untwisting and reeling or spooling theseparate strands of a rope, or the separate wires or groups of. wires of a strand,

l ready for furthertreatment.

Spools or bobbins are mountedk so `as toy revolve on a common axis while simultaneously rotating independently on their own axes.

The used rope is conducted to a pair ot gripping rolls which grip the rope at a point situate on. the` produced common axis on which the spoelsor bobbins revolve gl these gripping rolls revolving` on the common axisk 1n thefsaine directiony as the spools or'bob# bins and at a speed relatively to the spools or bobbins to ensure untwisting.

' The gripping point, when the direction of the rotating aXes is at right angles tothe direction of the revolving axis,l is so deterv minedl as to make practically negligiblel the variation in' distance from rthe grippingrolls of the different spools or'bobbi'ns. i

Those spools or bobbins which are more remote from the common revolving axis than others may also, or alternatively be4 increased in diameter. Otherwise the spools may be driven at diilerent rates of speeds.

Confining and conducting devices such as bell or trumpet shaped guides may be pros vided? to coniine and conduct the advancing end of a broken wire of any strand on to the spool or bobbin.

A simple rotating spool or bobbin may be included in the machine or added thereto for spooling the main core or strand core simultaneously, with' the spooling of the strands or wires, the core, in general, taking a cen;- tral course to its spool or bobbin. l

A machine under the present invention which will serve, -comprises a drum or annulns rotatably mounted in anexternal' system of rollers; these rollers having ianges whereby the drum or annulus. is completely held against bodily displacement in any direction. v

Onv the drum. or annulus is an external toothed gear meshing with another gear by which a drive of rotation is imparted to the drnm or annulns from any convenient source of power. i

fixed bevel-'gear with which meshes a small bevel gear on an axis which passes through the walloffthe drurnjor annulus at rightangles to a. tangent line at this point and carries a fixed spurV wheel on its inner end.,'

' By a suitable gear train this-spur wheel drives one or` two o-r more rows of spools rangedE parallel with its. axis and journalled' within the drum or annulus.

For providing for the ready removal or the spools, each shaft on which these are mounted may consist of two lengths coupled together by any suitable known shaft coupling, which coupling may be broken down, and one length of the shaft drawn away" Surrounding the drum or annulus is a i from the other, so that the spools may be bins.

. moved to the gap and quickly withdrawn.

v ply roll.

By arevolving ofv the gripping rolls of like hand to the revolving of the spools or :bobbinsyinjurious torsional stress on the strands or, Wires by the unwinding operationv is prevented.

In order" that hev invention maybe more clearly understood, reference will hereinafter be made tothe accompanying two sheets ofdrawings, showing by way of example one,l convenient form of lmachine which willlserve to carry out the invention.

. Fig'gl is an end view of the spool drum orl annulus looking in the direction of the arrow Aof Fig. 3, the right hand side of the viewbeing takenon the linelB, Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 islan endview of the drum carrying the gripping rolls and supply rolllooking in the direction-of'arrow A of Fig. 3a, .the right handside of the view being taken on the line C of this figure.

Figs. 3 and 3a form a combined side viewl ofthe machine.

Figs. 4 to 7 are detail views hereinafter referred to. i

`'complete lay-out of the machine.

. Referring to Figs- 1 and 3the drum or annulus 1.,.is rotatably` mounted in an external. system of rollers 2, these rollers having flanges 3 lwhereby the drum or annulus is completely held against bodily displace-y ment in any direction. On the drumor annulus1 is an externaltoothed gear 4 mesh-1 ing with another gear by which a drive of.

rotationi'simparted to the drum or annulus from any convenient .source of power.

Surrounding the drum lor annulus is .ai .bevel gear 6 ,fiXed to .the framing 7 of the machine, with .which bevelgear 6 meshes a smalltbevel-gear .8 (Fig. 1) ona shaft 9;

wliich'p'asses through the wall of the drum orannulus and carries a fixed spur wheel 10 onits innere-nd.y By a suitable lgear train.

1.1, 12. and13 this spur wheel 1()V drives two.

rows of spools 14 journalled within the drum or annulus 1 For providing for the ready removal ofy the spools each shaft 15 on'which these are' or strand core simultaneously with the spooli ing-of the strands or wires, this spoolk 16 heling mounted on a shaft 17 drivenhy a belt o r the like 18 from the shaft 15.

Referring toFigs. 2 and 3?.,the drum or ing flanges 21 whereby the'drum oran'nulus is completely held against bodily displacement in any direction. @n the drum or annulus 19v isan external toothed gear 22a meshing with a gear 22 by-'which a drive of rotation is imparted tothe drum or annuliis 19 from any convenient sourcefof power. j

vannulus 1 9 is rotatably mountedin an `eX-"V i ternal system of rollers 20,A these rollers hav- Surrounding the drum or annulusis av bevel. gear 23 fixed to the fran'1ing24of the machine, and with this bevel gear 23 mes-hes a small bevel gear 23? (Fig. 2) carried bya shaft 25 on Awhich is mounted the wire'supply roll` 26. A tensioning vand gripping device .is indicated at'.271mountedtourevolve" with thedrum 19 which device maybe of any suitable construction. As shewn diagrammatically in Fig. 4'tlie tensioning rand comprise two grooved gripping device wheels 28 .and 29 'between which. thero'pe y from the supply roll 26 passes,` the 28"v being in an adjustable bearing, or mounting" so that ythe pressure'applied to' the ropemay i be varied according to requirements.

be located .atl any, ,c onvenient position.` and a supplemental tensioning device or devices Fig. 8 is a. diagrammatic viewshowing al The tensioningand gripping device may ico in the forni of tension rollersas'indicated at 51 (Fig. 3a) may be providech Figs. 5, 6 vand 7 llustrate a c'oniiiiing.andv

' conducting'device which. may be'fprovided to confine and conduct the advancing end ofa wheel 33 meshing lwith a bevelv wheel ,34,'the

wheel'being arranged to rotate when the machine is in operation.

The conducting .and confiningk devices are mounted 0n slide'blocks on slide `bars 36j,v`

so as to be capable of verticaladjustment' to meetthe conditions of windingof the spools.

Asshewn in` Fig. 7 the slide bars 36"are,

mounted on a bar or frame ST1-Extending across the machine, this bar orfraine being housed in bearings 38 von. the drum'l or an extension thereof. As an example of they operation .of the 1 machine. the wire to be untwistedin'to separate strands isV led from the supply'rollf26 to the gripping and tensioning'device 27'.

spool.

while simultaneously rotating independently on their own axes;- The'conducting-andrew iin-ing devices being mounted' 'on the drum or annulus revolvef therewitli. lheftensionf ing and Vgrippir'ig device, andthe'supplyY rol-lf by' virtue" of [the mounting previously`Y de`l` scribed1v are"y also' revolved oni the same cornl in" the s'ame4 direction, atVv fr/speedrela twistingi n M The gripping rolls I point situate on' the produced common axis olwhicf thespopl'srevolve; andintthe operi ation ofthe machine the rope isplalcedluiider* tension between* the; gripping rolls?? and the spool'diu'rh or annulusl, andra-Iv mecha-n2 ical untwisting off the rope' into itsi sep arate" strzurds` is eli'ectediafter the ropeeleavesf the gripping rolls Q7, or just ahead of the ping. point, i. e.on thatsideozf, the gripping pointvv m'ost remote fromr` thev supply roll.

The tension set up in the strands impart through the bevel wheels 33 and 34 rotation to the trumpet 30 in a direction opposite to that of the strand passing through, and therefore when a broken strand reaches the entrance of the trumpet the severed wire or Wires is gradually revolved around the main strand as it proceeds inwards and becomes again a portion of the main strand before it leaves the trumpet.

The relative speeds of the drums 1 and 19 are arranged according to the class of rope to be unwound and other working conditions.

Any suitable means may be provided for removing the windings on the spools. In one arrangement a moveable device is run up from behind the machine and the windings transferred to spools carried by the movable device. The device may run on a track or otherwise, and is provided with suitable gearing for imparting rotation to the spools carried by the said device.

In the case of stands unwound from the main rope, each strand may lbe repassed through the machine for the purpose of a further unwinding of the separate wires or separate groups of wires.

Any convenient means may be arranged for distributing the windings on the spool.

The machine may be made duplex to work from both ends simultaneously in spooling dilferent ropes or strands. For example two sets of spools or bobbns may be mount therewith, the drums being located! inter-f Ini: the ensei' of 'ropes having.

l. Mechanismeforuntwisiiin'g andi'reel'ing y or spoolling the sepa-rate' strands-'lof aro.pe,

or the* separate wires or groups ofl Wires ofL a1 strand?, comprising spoolslv mountedso ais' to revjolve'onv acommon a'x'rs whileA sirni'rli-.- taneoifisly rotating independentlyion!` their' ownfa-xes, means for revolving theI` spools.y ons'adt Commonfaxs, andi-means; tory rotating saidvv spools on their own axes;- af gripping and-tensioning device fer gripping." the repen or thelke a-tfa; point sitiutte the prm duced common axisl aferesadgfrneansa for:` iro; tatiig'the gripping and/tensioni gdeviceabout itsow-n centre" on saida common@ axis inl:

hereof,l an? external? system' 'of r'olll'ersl;y andiy ai.;

thereingsubstantialfly asfdeseribed, f, y1 y 83H1 meclanismf'as claimedfv daim r hereof; an! ex'ternal'l system oir' rollers, and-ff. a'v

member rtatably"'meuntdf therein, sai-dI 6.1In mechanism as claimed in claim 1r hereof a gear for driving the spools substantially as described. l

7. Mechanism for untwisting and reeling or spooling the separate strands of a rope, or the separate wires or groups of wires of a strand, comprising-spools mounted so as to revolve on a common axis while simultaneously rot-ating independently on their own axes, means for revolving the spools on said common axis, and .means for rotating said spools on their own axes, a gripping and tensioning device for gripping the rope or the like at a point situate on the produced common axis aforesaid, means for rotating the gripping and tensioning device about its own centre on said common axis in the same direction as the spools, and conducting and confining devices forthe separate strands of a rope, or theseparate wires or groups of wires of a strand.

8.- Mechanism as claimed in claim 9 here spool carrying member; retatably mounted@ vffof,' -Whereineach confining and conducting device l comprises al, trumpet, guide Y Wheels, f andl means for; imparting; rotation.A off the f w11. Mechanism for. mechanicallyI untvvist-` trumpet. v

f 9.' 'In mechanism claimed' `in `hereof, a spoolfor spoolingthe main core.

or strand :.core, substantially as described. p 10. `In mechanism vas claimed inl `claim l. hereof,"a couplingk on the l spool carrying shaft,'forthevpurpose described;v k;

i ing andxreelingor -spooling thejseparate strands 1 of 1 a rope, or the separate Wires -or groups of Wires'y of a strand,fcomprising ai member, spoolsV vcarried thereby so as to-y reing member, asecondmember, `a gripping andr tensioning device for `gripping the'y rope yor the like at ay point-situate, on thel pro-g duced common axisfaforesaid, a .supply roll, 'l

,"said, lgripping and.l tensioningf-device and supply :rollbeing carried-bythe second, melnber, meanscfor rotating the' supplyrroll, and` means for imparting rotationtolsaidsecond member wherebyY the gripping `andtension-g o f l ing dev-ice is rotated; about its own centre on,

the Spool' carry-v said commonaxis in the saine direction as the spools.y c i 12.A VMechanism forimechanically'untwisti ngafand` reeling or spooling the separate `strandsvof'a rope, or the separate Wires or groupso'f Wires of a strand, comprising a 'member, spools carriedthereby so kas to re` volve om a `,common-axis, While simulta-v neously rotating independently on their own axes, means for revolving the spools onsaid common axis,.and means for rotating said spools on their own axes, means `whereby thegspools may be removed, conductingand confining: devices carried bythe spool carrying memberf'a second member, a gripping and tensioning deviceforgrippmg the rope or the like ata point situate on the produced common, axis aforesaid, a ysupply roll, supplemental tensioning devices, y said gripping and tensioning device, supplemental tension- `ing devicevs,iandlisupply rollv being carried by Athe second member, means for rotating thevsupply roll,and means for imparting rotationl to said second vmember v whereby the gripping vand tensioningL device is vrotated about its ovvn centre onsaid common `axis in the same directionas,y the spools. i I y v In testimony-[Whereoi'l fliximy ,signa- PETER ABunn JAGGER`- `4 

